Asparagus with brown butter hollandaise.Danielle Matar for the Globe and Mail
Brown butter is trendy right now. It has a nutty flavour that enhances vegetables and fish. Here, I have turned it into a no-fail hollandaise, the perfect accompaniment for asparagus. If you prefer not to use raw egg yolks, substitute two tablespoons of mayonnaise. I peel thick stalks of asparagus, and it is more than worth the effort; but do not peel them if you're putting them on the barbecue as they will burn. No need to buy expensive purple asparagus – it tastes the same as the green stuff and turns green when cooked anyway.
Servings: 4
Asparagus
2 lbs (1 kg) green asparagus, preferably thicker stalks, peeled
1/4 cup sliced pistachios
2 tbsp chopped chives
Brown butter hollandaise
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
1 tsp grated lemon rind
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Heat the butter over medium heat until it turns a light brown and smells nutty – 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place the egg yolk, lemon juice and water in a small heat-proof container such as a one-cup liquid measure. Blend using an immersion blender. Slowly pour in the brown butter, beating all the time. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring a skillet of water to boil. Slip in the asparagus and boil for 2 minutes or more – until still crisp-tender. Drain and refresh with cold water. Pat dry and divide between plates or lay on a flat serving dish while warm. Drizzle with hollandaise, scatter with nuts and sprinkle with chives.